CEREMONIAL SWORD

French, ca. 1750, for an officer.
Iron hilt, composed of cast and forged parts, spherical pommel, rivet head, the knuckle guard ends in the grip base, short quillons, two grip hooks, guard plate consisting of kidney-shaped halves. Opulent, partly raised carved and chased decoration on a finely punched gold background: trophies with contemporary and antique war equipment. The grip is wrapped with fine silver wire and ribbon. Blade with triangular cross-section (L 72 cm), etched decoration. Matching scabbard covered with parchment. Suspension rings.
L 89.2 cm.

Hilt in the Louis XV style, of exceptional quality. A comparable weapon is in the Collection of the Metropolitan Museum in New York. Cf. Bashford Dean: Catalogue of European Court and Hunting Swords, New York 1929, p. 31, No. 58, Plate XLV.